No, even though we are down to the Final Four, I'm still not going to write about MARCH MADNESSÂ®.

Rather, I'm going to continue to write about Quinn, Riley, Skylar, and Toby â the four Nor'Easter storms which dumped record snowfall this March. Now being born and raised in Montana, I know a thing or two about snow. However, four Nor'Easter storms in a single month dumping more than four feet of snow in some areas is something to write about!

For those of you who have not been watching the news recently, according to the Weather Channel, a Nor'Easter is a storm that:

(a) typically features winds from the Northeast (thus its name) off the Atlantic ocean;

(b) the storms dump lots of snow in the winter months, but snow is not a requirement for a Nor'Easter; and

(c) the storms are most frequent from September to April, but can happen anytime of the year.

And guess what? According to the good folks over at The Weather Channel, there was almost a fifth Nor'Easter this month. Fortunately for our friends on the East Coast, this low pressure system was too far out into the ocean to qualify as a Nor'Easter and caused only minor coastal flooding and beach erosion.

If Nor'Easters can be so destructive, cause so much damage, and be so widely reviled on the East Coast, then why do so many companies use NOR'EASTER as all or part of their trademarks?

My research revealed the first company to seek registration of NOR'EASTER as a mark was the Gillette Company in 1968 for use in connection with hand lotion. That application matured into U.S. Reg. No. 0871912 â but later went abandoned when it was not renewed.

One can understand the attraction of the word for the University of New England â the UNE Nor'Easters. There, the word Nor'Easters may strike fear in the hearts of their fellow Division III opponents.

Although its mascot, Stormin' Norman, (voted #1 college mascot in all of Maine) does little to make one shake in their snow boots.

One can also see the connection with Nor'Easter Enterprises, U.S. Reg. No. 2,208,604, for NOR'EASTER for hand tools, namely, shovels (and presumably snow shovels). And, perhaps, one can see a connection with Charles River Apparel's registration of NOR'EASTER for use in connection with jackets and pants as everyone needs such clothing to survive the elements.

But what about the other companies that use Nor'Easter as all or part of their marks?

In those instances, it is much more difficult to see the attraction of being associated with the dreaded storms. NOR'EASTER is currently registered as all or part of marks for use in connection with the following goods and services (in alphabetical order): beer, boats, coffee, hunting game calls, retail and wholesale distributorship services featuring seafood, vaping products, and windows (non-metal).

In conclusion, even a word associated the loathed snow storms can serve as a mark and be registered with the United States Patent & Trademark Office.